The Lost City trek is one of Colombia’s best-kept secrets – a 5 day hike that winds its way through indiginous villages, rumbling waterfalls and tropical jungle.

When you’re not waist-deep in water, you’re clambering up steep cliff faces, sludging through orange mud and eating fresh fruit on the mountainside. Finally you’ll reach Ciudad Perdida – an abandoned city carved into the mountainside.

While it may not be as gob-smackingly beautiful as Machu Picchu, it’s still an astonishing site. You’ll spend the afternoon wandering around moss-covered plazas, hidden ruins and a net of tiled roads. It’s eerily quiet and strangely peaceful – quite the opposite of the Inca Trail.

Expect tonnes of mosquitoes, plenty of rain and slippery trails. You’ll be sleeping in hammocks so strong insect repellent and warm clothes are a must. TOP TIP: Pack plenty of socks – there’s nothing worse than having damp feet!

Booking your trek

You can book The Lost City trek in either Santa Marta or Taganga. Tour operators will offer hostel pickup and return transportation to Teyuna. Prices cost from 500,000 cops (£170) – and you can choose whether you do 4, 5 or 6 days .

Need your coffee fix? Café Bonsai is a breath of fresh air in this little town. It may be a little pricier than its neighbours but the vast array of tea and coffee, stuffed olives and freshly-baked baguettes make it worth while. They also hold nightly barbecues.

* Pacha Mama

Fancy chilling out under the stars with a cocktail or two? Pacha Mama has a great atmosphere with live music, a great menu and cosy tables. Choose from grilled chicken skewers, fich cakes or shrimp. Make sure you get there early or it will take forever to get served!

* TOP PICK: Casa Felipe

You’ll be blown away by the food at Casa Felipe. The chef here is brilliant and goes beyond the call of duty to satisfy his customers. The filet mignon in a rich red wine sauce is to die for – and make sure you try the thai green curry, seafod pasta and delicious chocolate brownie.

* Pizza Rey

Looking for a cheap bite to eat? Pizza Rey isn’t much to look at (just basic tables and chairs with cats and dogs asleep under them) but the pizza here is cooked to perfection. A one-person pizza is just 6,000 (£2) and you can choose your toppings.

Fancy a snack on the beach? Look out for the guy selling cups of shrimp mixed with salsa, mayonaise, lime, salt and onions (from 5,000).

Want to learn to scuba dive? Taganga, a tiny fishing village on the north coast of Colombia, is home to some of the cheapest dive schools in South America and travellers flock here in their droves.

It costs from just 580,000 cops (£198) to do your PADI and if you’ve already got your certificate you can enjoy fun dives from as little as 120,000 cops (£40). This includes equipment, guides, transportation and snacks on the boat.

We loved Aquantis Dive School (pictured above) for its friendly staff and professional attitude. It may cost a little more than other companies in Taganga but it prides itself on small groups and good instructors.

TOP TIP If you haven’t dived in a while you’ll need to take a refresher course. This usually involves watching a video, reading up on relevant material and having an instructor present when you dive.

Catch a local bus from Santa Marta for 5,000 cops (£1.60 – approx 1 hour) or get a private minibus for 15,000 cops (£5- 30 mins) – these operate from both Taganga and Santa Marta. Entry costs just 35,000 (£11) and you’re free to stay as long as you want.

Where to stay

If you fancy staying overnight (highly recommended!) then you need to get there early. Hammocks and tents cost from 10,000 cops (£3). We loved Don Pedro, the first campsite you arrive at. It’s a 10 minute walk from the beach but the restaurant serves decent food (fish, chicken, rice and beans) and cold beers.

When you’re not out at sea, or studying for your PADI, grab a cup of cerviche and get a massage on the beach. They’re seriously relaxing and cost just 10,000 cops (£3).

Fancy a change of scene? Playa Grande is a 10-minute boat ride away and costs 6,000 cops (£1.50) return. NB. It is possible to walk there but there have been several reports of robberies up on the cliffs.

How to get to Taganga

Taganga is only a 10-minute drive from Santa Marta so either catch the K11 bus (1,500) or jump in a taxi for around 8,000 cops (£2.50). Be warned: the road to Taganga is long and winding. Drivers often overtake on blind bends and drive well over the speed limit!

If you’re coming from Santa Marta airport, the only real option is a taxi. It will take around 40 minutes and you should pay around 30,000 cops (£9). TOP TIP Agree a price before you get in – some drivers try to add hidden taxes to the price.